On Dec. 4, as in years past, the Willow Glen Sunrisers Kiwanis Club donated proceeds from the coffee and hot chocolate they were selling to the school's Parent Teacher Association, which organizes the ceremony. The Kiwanis also made sure that Santa Claus was available for photo opportunities with children of all ages.

Meduri Farms, whose Christmas tree lot was set up in the school's parking lot, donated a portion of the proceeds from all trees sold that night to the school. According to event co-chairwoman Karen Potts, the tree farm also helps out in a more hands-on way.

"Meduri Farms turns the holiday tree on every night, and a parent turns it off," Potts said.

Although it falls to the school community to keep the tree lit, Potts said it's important to Willow Glen as a whole that the large "WG" light up the corner of Lincoln and Minnesota avenues each holiday season.

"Technically, this isn't really a school-based event. It's just a couple people getting together to make it happen," Potts added. "We can only do this event if it doesn't cost any money. We ask for donations for everything. This is a tradition we don't want to see die."

The tree-lighting tradition includes a bake sale organized by Willow Glen Elementary's student council. Families donate the baked goods, and the PTA matches the dollars raised by the students. This year, Potts said, the council decided to apply proceeds from the bake sale toward the purchase of new soccer goals for the school's fields.

And in keeping with tradition, choirs from Willow Glen and Booksin elementary schools set the holiday mood with traditional and modern carols. The choirs from Willow Glen middle and high schools were unable to perform because their director, Andrew Eisenmann, was ill.

The fledgling choir from Willow Glen Elementary sang "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer," a favorite Christmas tune of student body president Kassandra Gutierrez. With a little help from Santa, Gutierrez flipped the switch that lit the tree.

Santa's helpers were in different guises around the school playground during the ceremony. The members of Girl Scout Troop 383 were collecting coats to donate to the San Jose Family Shelter. The PTA held a raffle at the event to benefit Gardner Academy, which lost its administration office, library, computer labs and seven classrooms in a Nov. 22 arson fire. Raffle prizes included two trees from Meduri Farms and tutoring sessions at Sylvan Learning Center.

The PTA at Willow Glen Elementary is also donating $250 of the profits from its holiday book fair for Gardner to buy books to replace those lost in the fire.

Since Willow Glen Elementary is in a central downtown location, said PTA president Amy Wheeler, it makes sense to open up the campus to the surrounding neighborhoods for events such as the tree-lighting ceremony.

"It's one of many activities we do to make the school more of a community resource," Wheeler added.